“This is a real coup for us,” said Cecil Hull, the choir’s general manager. “The Mantovani Orchestra has enthralled audiences around the world for many years and is renowned for its superb musicianship and distinctive style. “This special concert will be a wonderful and memorable occasion for our audience and a great thrill for all choir members.” The programme will feature arrangements of songs and tunes drawn from a wide variety of material — from familiar show-stoppers to popular love ballads, romantic classics to much-loved film themes. While the Epworth Choir has achieved acclaim as one of the leading choral societies in the South of England, the Mantovani Orchestra has continued its world-wide fame with regular concert tours of Japan, Singapore, Hong Kong, Australia, New Zealand and the USA. It is a highly respected recording orchestra at the Sony Music Studios in London. Its famous, uniquely orchestrated cascading strings sound has contributed to the success of countless albums that have sold more than 35 million copies worldwide. The orchestra will be under the baton of its principal conductor Peter Heming MVO, a composer and former music director to the Queen and the Royal Family on board the Royal Yacht Britannia. He said: “The orchestra is delighted to be the guest of The Epworth Choir for this very special concert. “The combination of the superb Epworth Choir and the sumptuous sound of the Mantovani Orchestra promises to be a magnificent musical treat, not to be missed.” Tickets are available from the box office on 01483 545900.